Sunday, September 20, 2009

1. There was no reason to get there so early. The race started at 9:30am, because that's when the tide would be in the bay. (When we got there most of the swim was just mud). But the park opened at 5am, and they encouraged people to get there as early as possible because there's only one road into the park. We got there at 7:15. I was the first bike on my rack, and then we got to hang out for 2 hours.

2. People in New England are big sissies. This was the first race I've ever done where a wetsuit was required to do the swim. The water temperature was in the low 60s. There were people there with not only wetsuits, but gloves, footies and beanies. I felt a little silly in my armless wetsuit, but once we got swimming, I felt fine in it. Not cold at all.

3. Riding the bike course before the race would have been nice. It was a VERY hilly course. With two hills that required I drop into my absolute lowest gears. Knowing about them and where they'd be might have saved some trial and error with the gears.

4. On the run, this girl caught me at mile 1. I had passed her twice on the bike and held her off. She said I'd been dragging her on the bike and that she hoped her legs would hold out for the run. And I'm thinking "Great, I drag you for 25 miles only to have you drop me at the beginning of the run." I try to keep with her, but it's no use. I don't have it in my legs. Oh, well. Then mile 3 comes up, and all the sudden, I've caught her again. This time she says, "I think you'll have to drag me on the run too". Ok, so long as she doesn't make a move in the last 200 meters. In the end I finished the race less than a minute ahead of her, but I felt strong knowing I had held her off and I hadn't dragged on any one.

5. I've got good transitions. I had the 3rd fastest transitions in my age group. Transitions won me 3 places in the standings. I should really thank my coach back in Brisbane for that. Although I still never mastered the flying mount, those fast changes meant that I finished 6th in my age group out of 37. How's that for not training?!

6. No race can compare to the post-race feast which was at Timberman. Lobsterman did have a lobster bake (for $25!). But the competitor food was just bagels and fruit. All I really needed in the end, but I think I may have been spoiled by Timberman.